Computerized knitting machine needle
By setting an elastic pressure point mechanism and positioning plate on the needle of the computer flat knitting machine, the problems of inconsistent needle tension and inaccurate needle tab opening are solved, achieving stable needle operation and accurate needle flipping, avoiding missed needles and damage to the loop expander, and improving the reliability of needle flipping and loop shifting.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- ZHEJIANG RESONANCE INTELLIGENT MANUFACTURING CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-07-04
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-05
Smart Images
Figure CN224325508U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the field of flat knitting needle technology, specifically to a computerized flat knitting needle. Background Technology
[0002] Computerized flat knitting machine needles include needle bars, needle hooks, needle latches, and expanders. When knitting garments, the computerized flat knitting machine needles, under the action of the triangular track at the machine head, can achieve various working states such as loop formation, loop gathering, needle flipping and loop shifting, and no knitting. Among these, needle flipping and loop shifting requires extremely high precision in the machine's design, manufacturing, assembly, and debugging.
[0003] Current computerized flat knitting machines are prone to issues such as missed needles, monofilament snags, yarn breakage, and even frequent needle collisions during the needle shifting and loop transfer process. These issues damage the needle tip, needle latch, and loop expander. The reasons are as follows:
[0004] 1. The tension of the knitting needles in the needle groove is determined by the pressure gauge. Usually, hundreds of knitting needles are arranged on a needle plate. Due to the width error of each needle and the different thickness and flatness of the needle plate, the depth error of each needle groove is caused by the difference in the width error of each needle. Therefore, the tension of each needle is not consistent. In fact, some or a few looser needles are prone to moving up and down and jumping back and forth when working, resulting in unstable operation, which can lead to needle collision and needle leakage.
[0005] II. In existing knitting needles, the opening of the needle latch during needle shifting relies on the loop sliding off the needle tip when the shifting needle is accurately positioned. There is no self-opening or other mechanical method for the needle latch to open. If there are issues such as improper shifting needle positioning, thick yarn strands, or loose loops, the needle latch may not open or may only partially open, easily leading to missed needles, monofilament slippage, and yarn breakage. Currently, Stoll needles from Germany use a spring steel wire installed at the bottom of the needle latch groove, allowing the needle latch to open accurately and reliably on its own. However, because the spring steel wire is extremely thin, its manufacturing and installation are extremely complex and delicate. Frequent needle latch opening operations also increase the risk of spring steel wire loss or breakage, resulting in extremely high production, manufacturing, maintenance, and repair costs. The self-opening needle latch using a spring is not yet used in the domestic computerized flat knitting machine industry.
[0006] 3. When the machine is turning over and shifting the loop, if the position of the knitting needle is not adjusted accurately, or if the pressure gauge is not pressed tightly on the knitting needle, the knitting needle will move up and down and back and forth, affecting the accuracy of the position of the knitting needle when turning over. This will cause the needle tongue to not be opened by the loop that has slid off the needle head or not to be opened completely, which will easily lead to missed needles, single filaments being caught, yarn breakage, etc.
[0007] 4. Due to the pulling and squeezing of the yarn loops, the expander plate deforms, and the gap between the expander plate and the needle bar (expansion cavity) becomes smaller, which will affect the insertion of the needle and easily cause needle collision, damage to the expander plate, and inability to complete the needle flipping and loop shifting work.
[0008] To solve the above problems, this utility model provides a computerized flat knitting needle. Utility Model Content
[0009] The purpose of this invention is to provide a computerized flat knitting needle.
[0010] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the purpose of this utility model is achieved as follows:
[0011] A computerized flat knitting machine needle includes: a needle bar, a needle hook, a needle latch, and a deflector plate;
[0012] The needle bar side is provided with a pressure point mechanism that protrudes from the needle bar and has elasticity at the position where it contacts the pressure ruler;
[0013] The needle hook is disposed at the end of the needle bar; the needle tongue is rotatably disposed on one side of the needle hook;
[0014] The expanding plate includes a fixed section, a needle-turning section, and a needle-infeeding section arranged sequentially; the fixed section is fixedly connected to the needle bar; the needle-turning section and the needle-infeeding section have cavities with the needle bar to form an expanding cavity, and the expanding plate has a protrusion that is recessed towards the needle bar between the needle-turning section and the needle-infeeding section;
[0015] A positioning plate is provided on the needle bar, which is located below the needle flipping section. The thickness of its front end is equal to the distance from the needle flipping section to the needle bar. The front end face of the positioning plate is parallel to the needle receiving direction.
[0016] Based on the above scheme and as a preferred embodiment of the above scheme, the pressure point mechanism is an elastic rod with a cantilever structure integrally formed with the needle bar; the end of the elastic rod protrudes from the needle bar and serves as a pressure point that contacts the pressure gauge.
[0017] Based on the above scheme and as a preferred embodiment of the above scheme, the pressure point mechanism is an elastic sheet; the elastic sheet is fixedly disposed in a groove opened on the needle bar, and its end protrudes from the needle bar, serving as a pressure point that contacts the pressure gauge.
[0018] Based on the above scheme and as a preferred embodiment of the above scheme, the protrusion is arranged along the pin direction.
[0019] Based on the above scheme and as a preferred embodiment of the above scheme, the height from the apex of the protrusion to the needle bar is less than the diameter of the needle hook, and the inner side of the protrusion is flush with the loop point of the needle turn.
[0020] Based on the above scheme and as a preferred embodiment of the above scheme, the distance from the front end face of the positioning piece to the loop point of the needle coil is less than the height of the needle hook.
[0021] Compared with the prior art, this utility model has the following advantages and beneficial effects:
[0022] 1. The contact position between the needle bar and the pressure gauge of this utility model is provided with an elastic pressure point mechanism, which can ensure that the pressure gauge always elastically presses the knitting needle to prevent the knitting needle from moving or jumping during operation; when the knitting needle flips and moves a loop, whether the knitting needle is in the flipping position or the receiving position, the knitting needle is elastically pressed by the pressure gauge because of the protrusion that protrudes from the needle bar, and the knitting needle runs smoothly close to the bottom of the needle groove without moving or jumping.
[0023] 2. This utility model features a downward-pointing protrusion on the expanding plate. When the receiving needle is in the needle insertion section of the expanding plate, as the needle moves upward, the expanding plate slides upward past the receiving needle. The protrusion on the expanding plate completely opens the needle tongue, which is slightly larger than the needle diameter. If some needle tongues are slightly shorter, the protrusion may not reach them, and the shorter needle tongues will not open. As the needle continues to move upward and reaches the turning position, the receiving needle moves upward in the receiving direction. The downward-pointing protrusion on the expanding plate blocks any unopened needle tongues and fully opens them. As the receiving needle continues to move upward, the receiving needle inserts into the turning loop. The loop that slides from the receiving needle can also open the needle tongue using existing technology. The loop on the turning needle can then fully enter the hook of the receiving needle, thus transferring the loop from one needle to the opposite needle. Compared to existing technologies that rely solely on the coil to open the needle latch when it slips, this practical design achieves three consecutive actions: first, the protrusion opens the latch; then, the protrusion blocks the latch; and finally, the coil opens the latch. This ensures that the latch is 100% open each time the needle is knitted, preventing issues such as missed needles, single filament snags, and yarn breakage.
[0024] 3. This invention features a positioning plate between the expanding plate and the needle bar. During the needle shifting process, the front end of the positioning plate abuts against the needle tip of the receiving needle. Because the needle tip is slightly higher than the needle loop point, the loop on the receiving needle slides off the needle tip. The needle tongue continues to open (if not fully open), and the loop completely falls into the receiving needle hook. Unlike existing technology where the needle shifting position is visually adjusted, this invention uses the front end of the positioning plate as a reference. By adjusting the machine so that the receiving needle tip is aligned with the front end of the positioning plate, the needle shifting position will be accurate. Simultaneously, the thickness of the front end of the positioning plate is equal to the inner height of the expanding cavity, supporting the expanding plate and preventing the expanding cavity from shrinking due to the coil pulling and squeezing. This provides reliable support, ensuring the expanding cavity doesn't shrink, allowing the receiving needle to enter the expanding cavity smoothly and reliably, preventing needle leakage, needle collisions, and damage to the expanding plate. Attached Figure Description
[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the knitting needle structure in Embodiment 1 of this utility model.
[0026] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Enlarged view of a portion of the diagram.
[0027] Figure 3 This is an exploded view of part of the structure of this utility model.
[0028] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the elastic sheet structure in Embodiment 2 of this utility model.
[0029] Figure 5 for Figure 4 Diagram of the middle stage.
[0030] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the front section of the knitting needle of this utility model.
[0031] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the process of flipping the pin according to this utility model.
[0032] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the second process of flipping the pin according to this utility model.
[0033] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the process of flipping the pin according to this utility model.
[0034] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the process of flipping the pin according to this utility model.
[0035] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the five-step process of flipping the pin in this utility model.
[0036] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly of knitting needles and a flat knitting machine.
[0037] In the diagram: 1. Needle bar; 2. Needle hook; 3. Needle tongue; 4. Expander plate; 41. Fixing section; 42. Needle flipping section; 43. Needle insertion section; 5. Elastic rod; 6. Expander cavity; 7. Protrusion; 8. Positioning plate; 9. Elastic plate; 10. Needle flipping loop point; 11. Pressure gauge. Detailed Implementation
[0038] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of this utility model, the preferred embodiments of this utility model are described below in conjunction with specific examples. However, it should be understood that the accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting this patent. For better illustration of this embodiment, some components in the drawings may be omitted, enlarged, or reduced, and do not represent the actual product dimensions. It is understandable that some well-known structures and their descriptions may be omitted in the drawings for those skilled in the art. The positional relationships described in the drawings are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting this patent.
[0039] Example 1:
[0040] like Figure 1 As shown, a computerized flat knitting needle includes: needle bar 1, needle hook 2, needle tongue 3, and expander plate 4.
[0041] A spring-loaded pressure point mechanism protruding from the needle bar 1 and in contact with the pressure ruler 11 is provided on the side of the needle bar 1 to ensure a tight fit with the pressure ruler 11. When the knitting needle turns over and moves a loop, the pressure point mechanism protruding from the needle bar is used to elastically press the knitting needle into place by the pressure ruler 11, so that it runs smoothly against the bottom of the needle groove without shifting or jumping.
[0042] The pressure point mechanism is an elastic rod 5 with a cantilever structure, integrally formed with the needle bar 1. The end of the elastic rod 5 protrudes from the needle bar 1, serving as the pressure point for contact with the pressure gauge 11. In this embodiment, there are two elastic rods 5, arranged facing opposite sides. Figure 12 As shown, the contact point between the knitting needle and the presser 11 is located at point a in the figure, and the contact point between the knitting needle and the presser 11 is located at point b in the figure.
[0043] The needle hook 2 is located at the end of the needle bar 1, and the needle tongue 3 is rotatably located on one side of the needle hook 2. The end dimension of the needle tongue 3 is larger than the diameter of the needle hook 2.
[0044] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the expanding plate 4 includes a fixing section 41, a turning section 42, and an inserting section 43 arranged in sequence.
[0045] The fixing section 41 is fixedly connected to the needle bar 1. Specifically, the needle bar 1 has a groove, and the fixing section 41 is fixedly connected to the groove.
[0046] A cavity exists between the turning section 42 and the needle insertion section 43 and the needle bar 1 to form an expanding cavity 6, and the expanding piece 4 is recessed downwards towards the needle bar 1 between the turning section 42 and the needle insertion section 43 to form a protrusion 7. The expanding cavity 6 allows the knitting needle to pass through. The protrusion 7 is arranged along the needle insertion direction to expand the needle tongue 3. At the same time, the height from the apex of the protrusion 7 to the needle bar 1 is slightly less than the diameter of the needle hook 2, and the inner side of the protrusion 7 is flush with the turning loop point 10.
[0047] When the needle of the receiving needle is in the needle insertion section 43 of the loop expander plate, as the receiving needle moves upward, the loop expander plate 4 slides upward past the needle of the receiving needle. The protrusion 7 on the expander plate 8 can then completely open the needle tongue 3, which is slightly larger than the needle diameter. If some needle tongues are slightly shorter, the protrusion 7 cannot reach them, and the shorter needle tongue 3 remains closed. As the receiving needle continues to move upward and reaches the loop position, the receiving needle moves upward in the receiving direction. The downward protrusion 7 on the expander plate 4 blocks the unopened needle tongue 3 and fully opens it. As the receiving needle continues to move upward in the receiving direction, the receiving needle inserts into the loop, and the loop that slides off the receiving needle can also open the needle tongue. The loop on the receiving needle can then fully enter the hook of the receiving needle, thus transferring the loop from one needle to the opposite needle.
[0048] To address the accuracy issue of needle shifting and repositioning during machine needle flipping and loop transfer, and to prevent the expanding plate 4 from shrinking due to the coil pulling and squeezing of the expanding cavity 6, a positioning plate 8 is installed on the needle bar 1. The positioning plate 8 is located below the flipping section 42, and its front end thickness is equal to the distance from the flipping section 42 to the needle bar 1. It supports the expanding plate 4, preventing it from sagging. The front end of the positioning plate 8 is parallel to the needle receiving direction, serving as a positioning element for the needle movement during repositioning, thus improving accuracy. The positioning plate 8 is fixedly connected within the groove of the fixing section 41. Figure 6 As shown, the distance from the front end face of the positioning piece 8 to the loop point 10 of the needle coil (as shown in B in the figure) is slightly less than the height of the needle hook 2 (as shown in A in the figure).
[0049] After adding the positioning piece 8, the machine is adjusted so that the needle tip of the attaching needle is against the front surface of the positioning piece 8, using the front end face of the positioning piece 8 as a reference. This ensures accurate positioning of the attaching needle. In this embodiment, the thickness of the front end of the positioning piece 8 is equal to the inner height of the expansion cavity 6, which supports the expansion piece 4 and prevents the expansion cavity from shrinking due to the coil pulling and pressing. This provides reliable support, ensuring that the expansion cavity 6 does not shrink, allowing the attaching needle to enter the expansion cavity 6 smoothly and reliably, without needle leakage or collision, and without damage to the expansion piece.
[0050] The process of flipping the pin is as follows Figures 7 to 11 As shown:
[0051] Process 1: When the needle turns over to the turning position, insert the needle tip of the needle into the front part of the turning-over expansion cavity 6.
[0052] Step 2 of the needle flipping process: The needle for attaching the needle remains stationary. The needle for flipping the needle moves upwards to the needle flipping and attaching position. During this upward movement, because the needle tongue is larger than the needle tip diameter, the needle tongue 3 will be scraped open by the protrusion 7 under the expanding piece. At this point, the bottom of the needle tip rests against the front end of the positioning piece 8. However, if the needle tongue 3 is shorter, it will not be scraped open by the protrusion 7.
[0053] Step 3 of the needle flipping process: The flipping needle remains stationary, while the receiving needle moves upward along the front end of the positioning plate 8 to the flipping loop point 10. During the upward movement, any shorter needle tongue 3 that has not been opened will be blocked and opened by the expansion plate protrusion 7. If any needle tongue 3 is neither opened by the protrusion 7 during the downward movement of the needle tip nor blocked and opened during the upward movement, the flipping loop will scrape open the needle tongue 3 again as the receiving needle tip slides down.
[0054] Step 4 of the needle flipping process: The needle flipping continues to remain stationary while the needle receiving continues to move upwards to the receiving position. At this point, the loop of the needle flipping is completely inserted into the hook 2 of the needle receiving.
[0055] Step 5 of the needle transfer process: At this point, the needles for transferring the needles move downwards to the needle plate opening, and the loop of the needle is completely transferred to the hook of the needle for transferring the loop from one needle to another needle on the opposite side.
[0056] Example 2:
[0057] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the difference between this embodiment and Embodiment 1 is that the pressure point mechanism is an elastic sheet 9. The elastic sheet 9 is fixedly disposed in a groove formed on the needle bar 1, with its end protruding from the needle bar 1, serving as a pressure point in contact with the pressure gauge 11. The elastic sheet 9 is made of an elastic material, and its main body is fixedly connected to the aforementioned groove, with only the top end protruding from the needle bar 1. In this embodiment, the top ends of both ends of the elastic sheet 9 protrude from the needle bar 1, forming two pressure points, which correspond to the needle flipping position and the needle receiving position, respectively.
[0058] The preferred embodiments of this utility model have been described in detail above. It should be understood that those skilled in the art can make numerous modifications and variations based on the concept of this utility model without creative effort. Therefore, all technical solutions that can be obtained by those skilled in the art based on the concept of this utility model through logical analysis, reasoning, or limited experimentation on the basis of existing technology should be within the scope of protection defined by the claims.
Claims
1. A computerized flat knitting machine needle, characterized in that, include: Needle bar (1), needle hook (2), needle tongue (3) and expanding plate (4); The needle bar (1) is provided with a pressure point mechanism that protrudes from the needle bar (1) and has elasticity at the position where it contacts the pressure ruler; The needle hook (2) is disposed at the end of the needle bar (1); the needle tongue (3) is rotatably disposed on one side of the needle hook (2); The expanding plate (4) includes a fixed section (41), a needle flipping section (42), and a needle insertion section (43) arranged sequentially; the fixed section (41) is fixedly connected to the needle bar (1); the needle flipping section (42) and the needle insertion section (43) have cavities with the needle bar (1) to form an expanding cavity (6), and the expanding plate (4) has a protrusion (7) that is recessed downward toward the needle bar (1) between the needle flipping section (42) and the needle insertion section (43); A positioning piece (8) is provided on the needle bar (1). The positioning piece (8) is located below the needle flipping section (42), and the thickness of its front end is equal to the distance from the needle flipping section (42) to the needle bar (1). The front end face of the positioning piece (8) is parallel to the needle receiving direction.
2. The computerized flat knitting needle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pressure point mechanism is an elastic rod (5) with a cantilever structure integrally formed with the needle bar (1); the end of the elastic rod (5) protrudes from the needle bar (1) and serves as a pressure point that contacts the pressure gauge.
3. The computerized flat knitting needle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pressing point mechanism is an elastic sheet (9); the elastic sheet (9) is fixedly disposed in a groove opened on the needle bar (1), and its end protrudes from the needle bar (1) as a pressing point that contacts the pressure gauge.
4. A computerized flat knitting needle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The protrusion (7) is arranged along the needle direction.
5. A computerized flat knitting needle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The height from the top of the protrusion (7) to the needle bar (1) is less than the diameter of the needle hook (2), and the inner side of the protrusion (7) is flush with the loop point (10) of the needle loop.
6. A computerized flat knitting needle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The distance from the front end face of the positioning piece (8) to the loop point (10) of the needle coil is less than the height of the needle hook (2).